I wanted to share my student Mary Claire’s recent report on her audition for a major Network TV show. Great to hear the details of how she applied her acting training to her work in the acting world!

Log Date: Tuesday, August 7, 2012

After submitting for a role in an upcoming T.V. episode, I did get an audition.

I am so happy to have had one now, because I have learned so much in Robert’s classes compared to my lack of acting training when we were in California. ( I can’t thank Robert enough for his dedication to us students so we can go out into the acting world and be successful!)

Last week, I had submitted for a role in a regular TV series which reenacts crimes and criminal trials, and the audition was yesterday.

It was amazing! They had me read sides for the part of an FBI agent. It’s a principle role.

I kept thinking of my classmate’s recent audition while I was there. I wondered if they would ask me to do a monologue like he had been… But they didn’t.

Instead, they had copies of the sides (like the ones we get in class).

After signing in, I took a copy of the sides and read them over several times looking for clues as to the givens and beats/meanings.

Robert had us focus on this and how we use Meisner technique to assess the character.

I had called another classmate on Sunday just to see what this experience would be like since he had worked on this show before.

He was very encouraging and reminded me of how much we know from Robert’s classes compared to what I would experience in the audition.

Boy, was he right!!!

So, when I was called in for the audition, the casting director read one of the character parts and I read my FBI agent part.

On my first read through, I was nice to the perpetrator (his character).

Because I had heard the C.D. tell a gal going into the audition before me, to do the part as if just another day on the job.

I decided to follow his direction.

The director sitting there told me I looked just like the FBI agent and they really wanted try again.

He asked me to be more forceful with the perp character the second read since they said my character knew this was the guy who cooked the books.

They said I should talk to him like I caught my husband in doing something wrong.

So, I let the guy have it, and the director said that was excellent!

I don’t know if they will pick me for the role since there were several gals being auditioned, but I really enjoyed the moment.

It was like being challenged in Robert’s class and I love that a lot!!!

Everything Robert has taught us was there and helped me succeed:

On-the-spot Meisner analysis of character while looking at the sides minutes before being called in.

Doing cold readings without choking.

Allowing my impulses to surface.

Responding to the person who was reading his lines.

Listening and taking direction as I was prompted.

Feeling at ease to enjoy the process.

If it wasn’t for all the wonderful months in class with Robert, (and you guys), working on technique, doing our scenes and making the homework count, I wouldn’t have felt so prepared to tackle this audition!

A very big “Thank You” to Robert for being so patient and always there to explain.